Fly-swatter



C. G. COE.

FLY SWATTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1920- 1,399,193, Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

nvmvron WITNESSES C a Cog QE/T'mn-Lox fl A TTOHNEYS UNITED STATES CLYDEGROVER COE, OF LAWRENCE, KANSAS.

FLY-SWATTER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1921.

Application filed August 27, 1920. SerialNo. 406,311.

To aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CLYDE citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Lawrence, in the county of Douglas andState of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fly-Swatters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in fly swatters, and has'for its objectto provide a device of the character specified, adapted for connectionwith a closure of any character, as, for instance, a screen door, andcontrolled by the movement of the closure for operating the same.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front view of a door provided with the improved swatter,

Fig. 2 is a side view,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rack bar and supporting bracket.

In the present embociment of the invention, the improved swattercomprises a frame 1 of substantially rectangular formation, which iscovered by a covering 2 of perforate material, as for instance, wirecloth. The ends of the frame 1 are braced against that end of the framewhich is to be hinged, by means of inclined braces 3, and the frame ishinged to the top of the door a by means of hinges 5, the arrangementbeing such that the frame swings on a horizontal axis which istransverse to the door.

At the hinged edge, the frame has a shaft 6 and this shaft is providedwith a pinion 7 at that end remote from the hinges 8. This pinion isadapted to engage the teeth of a rack bar 8, which is adjust-ably connected to an angle bracket 9. This angle bracket is composed of twoportions extending at right angles, one of the portions having alongitudinally extending slot 10 and the other a pair of alined slots11. The slots 11 are designed to receive bolts, screws, or the like, forconnecting the bracket to the frame 12, in which the door lis arranged,and the slot 10 is designed to receive threaded stems 13 on the rackbar. These stems are of a length such that they will extend throughportion of the bracket, and they are engaged by wing nuts 14 below thebracket.

In use, the rack bar 8 is so adjusted with respect to the angle bracket9, that when the door is opened, the pinion will be given a sufficientextent of angular movement to Gnovnn Con, a

swing the frame from the position shown in Fig. 2, to a position whereit is superposed on the screen door. .That is, the frame is moved farenough to cause the same to strike the door a smashing blow, killing anyflies that may be between the frame and the screen. As the door swingson outwardly, and at the end of the striking movement of the frame, thepinion passes off the end of the rack bar. When the door is closed, theengagement of the pinion with the rack bar swings the frame upwardlyinto the position of Fig. 2 and so holds it.

Preferably a fringe, indicated at 15, of cloth, leather or other-flexible material, is arranged at the free edge of the swatter p01-tion. The swatter may be rapidly operated by moving the door asufiicient distance to swing the swatter, that is, by pushing the doorto and fro.

I claim:

1. In combination with a door frame and a door therefor, a swatter,hinges for pivotally connecting the swatter to the door, the swatterextending upwardly across the space between the door and the frame inthe closed position of the door, and operating means for the swattercontrolled by the movement of the door for swinging the swatteroutwardly and downwardly into swatting engagement with the door andcomprising a shaft carried by the swatter and alined with the axis ofthe hinges thereof, pinion fixed to said shaft, a bracket carried bysaid frame, and a rack arranged on the bracket, the rack and pinionbeing engaged in the closed position of the door and cooperating toactuate the swatter through its movement and being disengaged after theswatter has been swung down into enga ement with the door and beingengageable againon the re turn of the door to closed position to swingthe swatter upwardly.

2. In combination with a door frame and door therefor, a swaterpivotally connected to the upper end of the door and extending acrossthe space between the door and the frame and overlying the frame, andoperating means for the swatter controlled by the movement of the doorfor swinging the swatter outwardly and downwardly into swattingengagement with the door and including a shaft carried by the swatter, apinion fixed to said shaft, a bracket carried by the frame and a rackarranged on the bracket and engageable with the pinion.

3. In combination with a closure frame and a closure therefor, a swatterpivoted to the closure and extending across the space between theclosure and the frame and over the frame in the closed position of theclosure, and operating means for the swatter controlled by the movementof the closure to swing the swatter outwardly and then into swattingengagement with the closure.

7 4:. In combination with a closure frame and a closure therefor, aswatter pivoted to the closure and extending across the space betweenthe closure and the frame and over the frame in the closed position ofthe closure, and means for swinging the swatter outwardly and againstthe closure.

5. In a device of the character described for use with screen doors orthe like, a swatter including a frame and a meshed covering therefor,and adapted to pivotally mount the swatter on the door, a shaft carriedby the swatter, a pinion fixed to the shaft, a stationary bracket, and arack adjustably mounted on the stationary bracket and adapted forcooperative engagement with the pinion.

6. In a device of the character described for use with screen doors orthe like, a swatter adapted to be pivotally mounted on the door andhaving its major portion disposed away from the door in the closedposition thereof, and means controlled by the movement of the door forswinging the swatter into swatting engagement with the door.

CLYDE GROVER con.

